Feelings
by lil-miss-brandytook
Summary: Pippin is having a bad day. Can Merry cheer him up?


A/N: I do not own any Lord of the Rings characters. All of them are property of J.R.R. Tolkien and not myself. Also, everything is welcome. Flames will be used to roast Rosie Cotton. I think that is everything so let the story begin.   
  
Fifteen-year-old Meriadoc Brandybuck knocked on the door to his aunt Eglantine's hobbit-hole. While he waited, he glanced around the yard. Then he heard screaming. It was coming from the hole, and sounded terrible to his ears. He wondered if someone was being tortured. From the way it sounded, it certainly seemed so. Merry had just begun to ponder this, when the round blue door was flung open by his frazzled-looking aunt.  
  
"Merry!" she gasped. "Oh, thank Elbereth you're here!"  
  
"What's going on?" Merry replied. "It sounds like somebody is being tortured!"  
  
"You'd think so, what with everything that happened this morning," his aunt replied. "Don't just stand there. Come in and I'll explain everything."  
  
Merry obeyed. Once he was inside and his aunt had shut the door, he said, "So what exactly happened this morning?"  
  
"I'm afraid your cousin, Peregrin, is having a bad day," she replied.  
  
Merry chuckled. "So? He's done that before," Merry replied, confused by his aunt's statement.  
  
"Not like this, he hasn't," she stated. "I can't get him to do anything!"  
  
"Wow!" Merry exclaimed. "No wonder you were so glad to see me! You're hoping I'll be able to calm Pip down, and maybe get him to do some things?"  
  
"Right. See this?" she inquired, pointing to a large purple bruise on her shin.  
  
"I see it," Merry replied. "What happened?"  
  
"That's where Pippin kicked me when I told him to clean up his toys," she replied. "And he kicked my other shin when I told him to eat his lunch, and he smacked me in the stomach when I tried to put him down for his morning nap."  
  
"Boy," said Merry. "It sounds like Pip had quite a morning."  
  
His aunt nodded. "If he doesn't get himself calmed down soon, we won't have a nice evening, either."  
  
"Why is he screaming now?" Merry questioned. "Is he refusing to do something again?"  
  
"Yes. I tried to get him to pick his toys up again, and he just started screaming," she responded.  
  
"Well, I will go see if I can calm him down," Merry said. "See you later, Aunt Eglantine."  
  
Merry turned and headed towards Pippin's bedroom. When he got there, he saw Pippin perched atop his bed, crying. Cautiously, Merry sat down next to the little lad. Pippin didn't notice; he just continued to sob piteously. Merry slowly put his arm around his little cousin's shoulders. Pippin looked up into Merry's smiling face and reached toward Merry's golden curls. Merry nodded and permitted the lad to play with his hair.  
  
"Can you let go of my hair, love, and sit in my lap?" Merry asked.  
  
Pippin said nothing; just climbed into Merry's reassuring embrace. He buried his head in Merry's neck.  
  
"Now," Merry said, as he rubbed Pippin's back soothingly, "tell me why you're so upset, little one."  
  
"I don't know why I'm so upset. All I know is that I woke up this morning and just did not feel like listening to anybody," Pippin sniffled.  
  
"I can understand that," Merry replied, smooching Pippin's soft curls. "Also, why did you hit and kick your mom?"  
  
Pippin looked a bit uncomfortable. "I was angry, and I guess I didn't really think about her reaction," Pippin replied.  
  
"Oh, Pip," Merry sighed, and smooched his cheek.  
  
Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Pippin's mom.  
  
"How are things going in here?" she inquired.  
  
"Surprisingly well," Merry replied, from where he and Pippin were cuddling. He tousled his little cousin's curls lovingly.  
  
"Well, good. I'll leave you to it, then," she said, and closed the door.  
  
"Merry?" Pippin questioned.  
  
"What is it, Pippin-lad?" Merry replied.  
  
"I'm hungry," Pippin responded. "Can we go get something to eat?"  
  
"Yes, Pip. We can definitely get something to eat now," Merry said. "We'll go borrow from the kitchens."  
  
Merry and Pippin tiptoed to the kitchens. When they got there, Merry motioned for Pippin to be quiet while he checked for cooks. Seeing none, he gave Pip the all-clear signal, and they snuck into the kitchen.  
  
"Grab those tarts, Pip, while I get those apples," Merry declared. "And hurry so we won't get caught."  
  
Pippin nodded and scooped up as many tarts as his little arms could hold. Merry, on the other hand, went from cupboard to cupboard grabbing whatever stroked his fancy. He stole not only apples, but cupcakes and cookies too. When the pair had finished raiding the kitchens, they tore out of there as fast as they could, so as not to get caught. Merry and Pippin were lucky and made a clean getaway with their loot.  
  
As soon as Merry and Pippin had reached Merry's room, they had a feast. There was enough food for both of them to have elevensies, and then some! Pippin selected a delicious-looking raspberry tart and fed it to Merry. Merry smooched Pip's cheek in between bites. After that, Merry reached for a chocolate cupcake and fed it to Pippin.  
  
"Merry, I love you," Pippin said, only with his mouth full, it sounded like he had said "Mewwy, I wuv 'ou."  
  
Merry swallowed the mouthful of apple he was chewing and said, "I love you, too, Pip. Always have, and always will."  
  
After their feast, neither hobbit was in any condition to move around a great deal, so the twosome stayed where they were and cuddled. Pippin climbed into Merry's lap and rested his head on Merry's shoulder. Merry's arms made a protective circle around his little cousin, and he leaned his head down and nestled his chin in Pip's soft, copper-colored curls. Pippin's eyes began to get droopy, and he let them close, succumbing into a deep slumber. Merry carefully, so as not to wake the sleeping hobbit, stood up, Pip still in his arms, and tucked him into his bed. Merry smooched the little lad's forehead, whispering, "Sleep tight, Pip."  
  
Merry then opened his suitcase and pulled out one of the books he'd brought along. Merry then climbed into bed with Pip, turned on a lamp, and began to read. He was halfway through the third chapter when his own eyes became droopy. He closed the book silently, turned off the lamp, and then pulled the warm quilt and blankets around him and Pip. Merry ran a hand through Pippin's disorderly copper curls before falling asleep himself. Pippin's eyes fluttered, but he didn't wake. Pippin rolled over and sank against Merry's chest, wrapping his little arms about Merry's waist.  
  
Merry shifted and pulled Pippin into a tight embrace. He felt Pippin's cheek sink against his shoulder. Just as Merry was falling into real sleep, he knew his love for Pippin would never diminish. He would have these feelings of affection for all eternity. 


End file.
